Question C

Privilege is invisible to those who have it. A phrase I have seen many times reading Johnson's book and heard in Kimmel's lecture. I guess I would have to put myself as one of those who was invisible as well. When I looked in the mirror I saw just see me, Mike Mahoney, not a white male who comes from a working class family. When I look at my friends who are of different race or gender I just saw them as people as well but it was my privilege that was keeping my invisible to who they are. I have a very good friend who is a black woman and though I never looked at her that way I guess in a way I need to now to understand more about who she is as a person. Kimmel discussed four subjects, identity, work, family, and intimacy as the things that have drastically changed over the last 30 to 40 years for women that have changed their lives fundamentally which in turn have raised their expectations. I agree for the most part that these things have changed because he is right about gender becoming visible and more relevant which in turn has opened up more work for women. I guess I would agree with him also about the expectations of men rising for women because they are better able to have lives now that include both family and a career. The numbers from the study Kimmel gave were interesting as well. I do believe that men and women are more alike than different as Gray put in his book. I share many common interests such as music, art, food, television, etc. with my female friends so from my experiences men and women are similar in many ways. When it comes to sex, love and passion men and women may differ in some ways but honestly that's for the best I believe. It would be boring and dissatisfying if we were exactly the same in those areas. I would argue however that men and women are probably more similar today then we were 30 to 40 years ago. Think about how much our society and culture has changed compared to 40 years ago when men went to all boys school or a all men military school. These changes have allowed gender to become visible as Kimmel said so men and women can relate more. I know my grandfather has never really embraced feminism and I can see the tension at times between him and my grandmother. That's how times were though back when they were young and I believe we've progressed so much that our differences between gender are not as great as some people make it out to be.